At 08:54 AM 9/15/2007 -0700, Bill Gilroy wrote:
>For years I have owned MG Midgets and I am thinking about purchasing a
>1969 Lotus Europa. I was wondering what are the things that I should
>be aware of when I look at the car? I know the 69's are not bonded to
>the chassis.
What is the serial number?
I have a type 46, my guess is that you're looking at a type 54 or 65.
> Any places where the wishbone rusts badly?
The box that provides the front suspension pickups. Accessible through
a large rubber plug down by the master cylinder
> Any other
>things I should be aware of? Engines or transmissions? Bad first
>gears?
Nothing in particular that I recall to be frightened of in those areas.
If the rear suspension is neglected, the wheels fall off.
>Does the body crack in any particular areas?
It'll crack anywhere it wants to. Mine came with some cracks but
nothing new has reappeared.
I overheated mine at SIR a couple of years ago and now it's blowing smoke
but I haven't done
any diagnostics on it. I got a couple years of use out of it and I really
enjoyed the car. The type
46 and 54 are great looking cars and the handling is incredible. I had the
local Lotus
specialist drive the car and he demonstrated the Europa's ability to change
direction. He crossed
his arms, told me to hold on, and turned the wheel roughly 360 degrees and
the Europa made a
right turn instantaneously. I'm still impressed.
Answer to unasked question. These are unusual cars to maintain. The
engine and transmission
are out of a 40 year old Renault so parts are tougher to find. A
fiberglass car means the electrical
system is sensitive to grounds. Getting in and out of the car will test
your flexibility and the blind
spot is huge.
It's not a car for an idiot who wants a sports car. It's important to
understand where the car is
unlike anything else you've owned and how to properly maintain it. Once
the bugs are out the car
is a blast to drive. And I really like the looks of the early cars.
I don't know where the mailing lists are at the moment, they used to be on
Yahoo.
I'm not current on Europas as I have another couple of projects that are
taking all my time.
Have you looked at http://www.lotus-europa.com/
Steve Shipley
65 Jag OTS
65 Lotus Super 7
68 Lotus Europa S1B
65 Lotus Cortina
55 Ford F-100
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